The Town of Estes Park has been awarded a $94,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board for master planning for the restoration of Fall River from Rocky Mountain National Park border to the confluence with the Big Thompson River.

The town is still awaiting word on another grant application that would complete funding for the Fall River master planning.

Town officials say the goal is to complete the Fall River stream corridor master plan before the 2014 spring runoff, so that actual restoration can be completed by the end of August, 2014.

Under the direction of Community Development, a Watershed Planner skilled in community outreach and facilitation will lead the formation of the plan. The planner will establish a Fall River coalition, facilitate public outreach and community meetings, and solicit/submit scientific and engineering design options.

The end result will be a comprehensive conceptual design and a budget for implementing the plan itself.

The master plan will address:

- How to minimize the impact of future flooding on homes and businesses

- How to minimize the impact of business disruption and resulting economic loss

- Steps to restore Fall River's ecological health.

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The plan will be collaborative in nature. The Fall River coalition will include and/or draw on the expertise of hydrologists, engineers, environmental stewards, impacted home owners and business owners and the community at large.